These rhubarb muffins are a delicious combination of tart bursts of rhubarb in a soft muffin and warm sweet cinnamon sugar topping. They make a great coffee time snack, or really any time.
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Rhubarb is a funny crop. It's technically a vegetable, though it is more often used in sweet dishes than savory. The leaves are not safe to eat, just the stem, and they are naturally pretty tart.
Yet despite that, rhubarb has some avid fans. In general, it doesn't appear to be as popular in the US as in the UK, but that does seem to be changing. While some places look forward to the winter forced rhubarb and spring growths, I've found in Australia that it's available pretty much year round.
Using rhubarb
Once you allow for the fact it's tart, rhubarb can be used in quite a broad range of ways. One of the simplest ways is as stewed rhubarb, where you cook in gently with some sugar to form a kind of compote, perfect with yogurt, custard or as it is.
I remember enjoying the thin, young shoots simply dipped in sugar when I was a kid. We also had many a rhubarb crumble and still one of my favorites, rhubarb fool (with cream). Another classic use is in sweet tarts. Or you can try fun twists like rhubarb cookies or crustless rhubarb pie.
Rhubarb also pairs well with a number of other fruits, particularly strawberry such as in my strawberry rhubarb crisp. Then you also have savory uses, such as rhubarb chutney.
Making these muffins
These muffins are another tasty and easy way to use some of this spring crop. All you do is finely chop the rhubarb, mix the wet ingredients in one bowl, dry in another then combine all three. You want the rhubarb in teeny pieces so it is well distributed in your final batter.
Scoop the mixture into muffin cases, flatten off then top with a little cinnamon sugar. This is really worth it to give that extra burst of sweetness to balance out the tartness from the rhubarb (and just generally delicious).
The mixture may seem a little stiff - if it's too much you can add some more yogurt as you are mixing - but also it will lighten up. As the rhubarb cooks, it softens and adds extra moisture to the muffins.
These rhubarb muffins are easy to make and the reward is pretty pink chunks of tartness inside soft, tender, gently sweet muffins. They're a lovely taste of spring, whenever you have them.
Enjoy muffins? Why not try these:
- Pear chocolate chip sourdough muffins
- Healthy carrot apple muffins
- Meyer lemon zucchini muffins
- Plus get more snack recipes, both sweet and savory, in the archives.
Rhubarb muffins
Ingredients
For muffins
- 1 egg
- 2 tablespoon unsalted butter melted and cooled
- ¼ cup plain yogurt or more as needed
- ½ teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 cup all purpose flour plain flour
- ¼ cup sugar
- 2 tablespoon brown sugar
- 2 teaspoon baking powder
- ½ teaspoon cinnamon
- ¾ cup rhubarb small dice around ¼in, ½cm
For the topping
- 1 tablespoon brown sugar
- ¼ teaspoon cinnamon
Instructions
- Line 6 muffin molds in a tin, or grease with butter. Preheat oven to 375°F/190C.
- Lightly beat the egg. Add the melted butter, yogurt and vanilla, whisk to combine.
- Separately, mix the flour, sugars, baking powder and cinnamon.
- Add the sliced rhubarb to the flour mixture along with the wet ingredients. Mix so that everything is combined and well-distributed but try not to overmix. If it is very stiff as you mix, add a little more yogurt but it should be on the firmer side.
- Divide the mixture between the muffin moulds and smooth off the tops a little.
- Mix together the sugar and cinnamon for the topping and sprinkle over the muffins.
- Bake for approximately 18-22 minutes until golden on top and a skewer put in the middle comes out clean.
Video
Nutrition
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Pam says
I love rhubarb and there aren't enough recipes out there for it. Thanks for this!
Caroline's Cooking says
I know what you mean, always good to have a few more ways to use it! Enjoy.